Chelsea Takes Big Step Toward Title

Chelsea overcame one of its last hurdles this past weekend, drawing 0-0 with Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday. Chelsea now hold seems like an insurmountable 10 point lead with just a few matches left, and can wrap up the title with victories in their next two matches against Leicester and Crystal Palace.

Chelsea were well aware they didn’t need all three points from this match, and they were perfectly happy to sit back and absorb the pressure Arsenal threw at them. They defended well for the entire match, and although Arsenal held the vast majority of possession, they rarely threatened Thibault Courtois in goal.

There were a number of contentious officiating decisions in the first half, with Chelsea being on the end of two of them. Probably the most grievous of them was Arsenal keeper David Ospina’s missed attempt to punch a ball clear, which resulted in him head-butting and most likely concussing Oscar. Oscar was taken off the field after briefly convulsing on the ground, but was allowed to return to play before being taken off and taken to the hospital at halftime. It looked to be an obvious penalty, and it’s still unclear why it wasn’t given.

One of Arsenal’s best (and only) chances happened with 6 minutes left, as Danny Welbeck failed to connect on a cross inside the six yard box. It was obvious that winning this game meant much more to Arsenal, as they’re still in a hotly-contested race for second with Man City and Man U.

It may not have been the most thrilling match, but Chelsea’s celebratory reaction to the final whistle showed just how valuable the point was for their hopes of taking back the Premier League title.